100 days, a ghost hunt song fic
by clockworkrose103
Summary: takes place after the manga ends, Naru decided to return to Tokyo. Why? what business does he have there? find out and let the reading commence!
1. Chapter 1

Me: Lin, would you do the honors?

Lin: No.

Me: Naru?

Tea loving jerk: if I must…clockworkrose does not own any of us, if she did the story would have ended happier. Now where is my tea?

Mai: Right here. Also, This is a songfic done to "Here Without You" by 3 doors down, which she doesn't own either.

Me: thank you all, and my lovely readers to!

Chapter one: here without you.

100 days had passed since Naru left to bury Gene. Though the time was short it had aged he more than he would have thought possible, not physically-though the time with his parents had been difficult- but emotionally. He missed japan, he missed SPR, and he even missed his friends there. Never in a million years would Naru have guessed he would have people like them, it had always been just his and gene, maybe Lin would fall in to the category of friend.

He certainly did now- but most of all Naru missed Mai.

He missed the petite girl he had come to think of as pretty. He missed her brown eyes, the same color as the tea she begrudgingly brought him.

Only after the funeral did Naru realize she probably would have like to be there. She knew Gene from her dreams, she knew the smiling boy that was her brother. Yet she said she loved him. Naru the narcissist, Oliver Davis, Kazuya Shibuya. Not Gene.

_She must be stupider than I originally though-_ that had been Naru's first though, but now he wasn't so sure.

Lin figured the same thing but Naru denied him. he lied every time the assistant brought it up. All the lies had left him cold. He didn't think he could ever look at things the same.

Naru sat alone in his room, all the blackness confining him, making him feel very small. He fell asleep with Mai's face in mind. He dreamed he returned to Shibuya and she was there waiting for him, he admitted he was wrong and she still said she still loved him.

Naru woke up alone, still in London without **her. **He thought about her all day, by lunch he had already booked the plain tickets. Two- Lin had noticed the moment he started packing. The dream weighing heavy in Naru's mind, he thought of calling ahead but decided against it.  
Naru knew it would take nearly thirteen hours to get to Tokyo. With him and Lin laving at noon that same day, he would not get there till 1 in the morning. He couldn't wait to see the surprise on Mai's face when she came in to work tomorrow.

The airport was anything, the tea was horrible and Lin couldn't wait to get back. He was glad Naru finally stopped mopping. He grieved in his own way for a while then fell into a slump. The onmeogji (A/N idk the actual spelling) watched as Naru sorted through his memories of gene and the year at SPR with 'the usual's'. His Shiggi (A/N again, I don't know how to spell it) constantly keeping track of his emotional state just in case the narcissist decided to use his qigong again.

They boarded the plane, preparing for the countless hours of silence before the two men, Lin was utterly shocked when Naru spoke just before takeoff.

"Thank you," he mumbled, "for coming with me.

"No problem, Naru."

Lin hadn't called him that the who time they were in the UK, he called him Oliver for his parent's sake. The familiar name put Naru in a similar state of shock as Lin.

The miles just kept rolling, Naru wanted to be home so badly. He hardly noticed the people in the airport, all the staff felling the need to say 'hello'. It was all over rated, the normal little lives of all the normal little people they passed.

Naru kept thinking of home, of Tokyo and of Mai. The other's faces creeping in occasionally. He wondered if he would have to compete with Yasu now, he liked Mai a lot.

Because he was on a plane without her, she was on his lonely mind. The few moments of sleep he got where full of her, for the life of him, he didn't know why.

Naru knew so much and when so many places. Life was hard and it hardened him, but what he felt he felt something like it towards gene, but not quite the same, never quite the same.

Naru fell into a dream, a field of people he knew but he couldn't identify. He was cold, the bitter air stung his lungs and froze him in place. The world was completely silent, the roar of the plane was gone even the breathing of the people around him- all gone. His ears began to ring. A blur of faces, names and voices. One by one they fell, to the last one. It looked like gene but just as easily been himself.

_And when the last one falls  
When it's all said and done_

I'm here without you, baby  
But you're still on my lonely mind  
I think about you, baby  
And I dream about you all the time  
I'm here without you, baby

Naru woke up long enough to check his watch then fell asleep again. His dreams where much happier this time. He walked into Shibuya; Mai was asleep at her desk in this dream. Her soft brown hair fallen into her face she looked like she did when he first met her well over a year ago. Young and full of life.

Naru told her before he left that he had hired her out of empathy. Her principle had told him after the first case that she was an orphan, that she lived alone. He had felt for her but that alone still wouldn't have gotten her the job. He hired her because he knew she was _different_, he didn't know how different until her latent physic abilities began to show, like crakes of light in stone.

Naru knew that soon, no tonight or the next night, but he would hold Mai. He knew because he finally hand the word for what he was felling. The same word gene used, though not in the same context. The same word Mai used and the one he had denied.

Love

A/N: I know it's kind of OOC but I think that there is a lot to Naru we don't see in the mange or the anime. Same goes for Lin, who I realize is not as much of a tea snob and Naru but he still likes it. Right? Next chapter is Mai, and will be done to "Six Degrees Of Separation" by the script.

Kiss kiss.


	2. Chapter 2

"Six Degrees Of Separation"

Me: I'm sorry this took so long and I know I should be working on my mortal interments song fic "give me love" if you love Malec than please take a look at it!

Naru: don't forget the stupid disclaimer…

Lin: are you offering to do it for her? *earns glare form tea loving jerk*

Me: Mai, would you please?

Mai: Sure! Clockworkrose does not own ghost hunt or any of the songs featured here.

Mai awoke to incessant beeping. Groaning, she stretched to turn off her alarm clock. Naru had given it to her because she was always late. Naru.

Oh, how she missed him, sure he had been so rude-but that was part of him. Mai had finally told him that she loved him, and the narcissist rejected her completely, saying she didn't love him but his brother. Maybe he had a point; his brother was always nicer to her. He still was-in her dreams that is. But Naru was the one she loved, she was sure.

Mai stumbled past stacks off books and disc's she had _borrowed_ from Naru's office. Madoka didn't mind, she even encouraged it, after she started heading SPR. Someone had to, no one could stand to see it close, it would be like tearing apart a family.

She didn't know though, Mai never quite felt the same walking in to the office and having a woman behind the desk instead of the teen.

After a quick bowl of cereal, Mai sat in the center of her room and began to meditate. Monk had showed it to her as a way to deal with stress and as the 'new Lin' stress was more common than air.  
Mai couldn't shake the feeling that today was different that yesterday, maybe it was her abilities growing stronger, she tried to quite her minds but the feeling wouldn't go away.

She sensed a slight ting of desperation. _Why would I be desperate? What could I want so badly…_

She grabbed a cup of tea at the office, walking down the hall, Masiko was taping things to the wall.

"Masiko, what are you doing?" Mai asked stopping by the girl, her floral kimono the most colorful thing in the room.

"I told you yesterday," she didn't sound annoyed, just sad. Since Naru left the girls had been getting along batter, there mutual loss a key factor. "This place is depressing. If we don't liven the mood than we will attract floating specters.

Mai realized what Masiko was hanging, pictures. She stood back and watcher the past clouded her vision like smoke. Happy memories, sad ones to.

The feeling if desperation returned, like something so precious was slipping thorough her fingers but she couldn't hold on.

She felt like after months, all the pain of Naru leaving, the unknowing if SPR would remain, it was starting to resolve its self and she was being dropped back at the beginning.

_She stood and watched as Naru walked away. Mai had seen them off to airport, some of the others had joined them- Monk, Ayako, even Yasu. _

Mai didn't remember getting to her office but her she was, her tea now cold. She blinked as she slipped black into her memoires, like being underwater.

The real world warped, sounds muffled and faded.

_Mai stood with monk just behind her as Naru and Lin faded into the morning mist, the dark sky obscured their silhouette, only the line of Naru's pale face and Lin's head bobbing high above everyone else's marked the pair. _

_That to disappeared. _

_First , Mai thought the worst was a broken heart. She love Naru and he didn't even know, she told him and he twisted her words, her views. He just didn't know how she felt. _

_What killed her was the second part. Nothing made since, she lost almost all control over her powers, she started seeing gene all the time but he never said a word- it was maddening. _

_Her world split down the middle, ordinary life and the life of ghost hunting didn't seem to fit together anymore but she would let either go._

_She thought she fixed herself, but when glass shattered it's never the same again. It takes skill and luck to really mend things, if they mend at all._

_Mai thought she saw him once- Naru, with a girl on is arm… it was like rubbing salt in her wounds. _

_Maybe she did mess up a little…_

_She couldn't even tell that the boy in her dreams wasn't Naru. She saw him as the light in the narcissist she knew so well…the way he smiled, Mai always wanted nark to smile at her like that. _

Mai felt like she was at the bottom of a pool, the presser was so great but she was rising. Someone was dragging her out of the water, their hand warm on her shoulder.

She opened her eyes to see Madoka shaking her shoulder, a stack of paperwork on Mai's desk.

"You were sleeping again Mai, I hate to quote Kazeya but 'I don't pay you to sleep', ok? I need all of these filed but the end of the day." She turned to leave then stopped, "I don't mean to work you so hard but with this current case, there's no help its everyman for himself."

Mai slammed her had down on her desk, she hadn't slept well in so long, 100 days and counting.

_She told her close friends when Naru left, not why only that he had. She needed someone to comfort her. They distracted her with tarot cards and gems and stones- things deemed safe by monk. Masiko had been angry then, so was Mai thou- she had felt loss before, had Masiko?  
"Do you believe all that is going to heal your soul?" she had said so coldly Mai wondered if she would freeze. "Well it's not, no, wohhhh" then she had started to cry and left.  
_  
_desperation... Separation…_

First a broken heart, then pain worse than death. The world fell apart, everything she ever though thought was solid fell apart. Mai thought she fixed herself but the pieces just didn't fit quite right. Seeing gene every night, he looked so much like Naru it hurt- is it her fault he hasn't come back?

There is no starting over, no finding closer. Would he take her? Would he realize that Mai loved him not gene? Would hesitate- no Naru never hesitates. He moves on.

Mai felt someone shaking her shoulder again. her eyes fluttered and she caught a glimpse of black hair and indigo eyes. Gene, it had to be. No Naru- but gene had grey eyes…

Her eye snapped open. the office was dark, the moonlight coming in the window made her wonder how long she had been asleep. Surly the office was closed by now and she was alone.

"Mai, I made tea. Would you like some?" Came a deep voice, she knew it instantly.

"n-Naru?" she called, still questioning if she was dreaming.

She saw the flash of white teeth and heard the clink on ceramic and a cup was set in front of her.

A/N: Hey so I would like to thank my amazing follow/fav.-ers. I haven't decided what song I'm doing for chap. 3 so im leaving it to a vote!

Continental by Alkaline Trio or just breath by unlikely candidates or submit your own. Please!

Kiss kiss


	3. Chapter 3

The fighter

Me: sorry I could not update every 20 minutes as per request :P but here is the next chapter.

Naru: It doesn't make since thou, the song is stupid.

Lin: I would watch what you say, she has the power to kill you, you know…

Mia: uh- uhm… clockwork rose doesn't own anything or anyone….*leaves*

Me: no one suggested or voted! Seriously I didn't know what to do about that! I'm sorry that this song chose isn't great, but please just go with it. *glares at snobby tea drinker*

Mai's heart raced. She leapt form her chair, her head spinning as she nearly knocked over all the papers Madoka left for her hours ago. She fell into someone's arms, they wrapped around her and she froze. Naru would never do that. As much as she wanted him to… it would never happen.

Gene might but Naru… grey eyes and blue flashed in her mind simultaneously. Her head was still spinning, waves of confusion and dizzy ness rushed over.

Naru was here, he was back.

Naru wasn't expecting her to fall in him arms like this, he expected grief than anger and finally happiness because that's how Mai worked. Her emotions her written all over her face- but he could not see her face.

He knew that she had tripped, but his first though was much nicer. She was stiff in his arms, only for a moment before sagging.

"Mai, are you alright?"

"I'm fine" she stood and stepped away, "I just don't understand." He felt cold without her in his arms. He wanted to hold her again but now was not the time. Poor timing is what started this mess in the first place and he wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

Naru was tired of it being so dark he couldn't see the girl in front of him and turned on the light.

He looked like the old Naru, dressed in all black, tall and thin. Nevertheless, there was something different about him- calmer, gentler.

He looked her up and down, his gaze soft and so warm she thought she might melt- but it last only a second. Then he was a shade on his old self, prideful and haughty- but also lonely.

"I- I have much to say, but I see you need to time to process my return." He spoke as if the words hurt- or perhaps what he _wasn't_ saying hurt more. Mai had a few choice words as well, but was now the best time to apologies? Last time she confessed to him had been right after they found gene and her timing could not have been worse. She couldn't stand to lose him again so soon.

Together they sat and sorted through the work that had piled around the office, Naru noted that Mai had taken Lin's place; he could only imagine who had taken his own.

Some of the papers where from weeks back, others filled incorrectly- some just wrong. Naru didn't comment thou, Mai seemed to be having a hard enough time as it was. She kept looking at him over papers, or when she though he couldn't see. She looked conflicted; hopefully the same look wasn't on his own face. She was even thinner than before which was hard, her hair a bit longer.

Even though she was asleep when he found her she looked exhausted, her eyes red and dull. After she finished the tea he brought her-the act alone sending her into another wave of shock- she switched to coffee.

"Why are you here?" she asked after a while _because I love you, _he wanted to say it but for the first time in years, the words wouldn't come.

"Because I like japan, the UK got boring."

"Not japan- here- SPR, I know it's your company but- in the middle of the night?"

"I had a feeling you would be here,"

"So?" she choked.

"I-" _wanted to tell you I lo- _" wanted to talk to you."

"Oh, what did you want to tell me?"

_It doesn't matter if you've moved on_ "I'll tell you later."

He wondered if she still loved him, he had been so prideful before, so rude. Saying that it was Gene she loved was wrong. She walked away, he walked away-taking far too long to return. She had probably moved on…

Mai wondered why he was even back- didn't have any reason to be, even if he was bored he could have gone somewhere else. SPR, his friends, her. Would Naru come back for that?

Old Naru wouldn't, but the teen sitting in front of her now is not the Naru she knew. He looked distant, idly flipping through papers and mumbling, not about the errors but about all the cases they've completed without him.

She noticed light trailing in through the window and saw the chance.

"Naru, come with me."

No one spoke on the way to the rooftop. It was awkward, reminding her of the dream she had where gene lead her through a tunnel, he held her hand the whole way but Naru would never do that. He thought she loved Gene.

The tension was high, unlike the past hundred days; Mai didn't fell lost or desperate for anything. She felt grounded, as if she finally found the earth beneath her feet. Still Naru was so stiff, like a walking block of ice. Fragile in a way Mai was not used to.

They stood at the railing and watched the inky sky slowly filled with the color of a new day. Naru's heart ponded in his chest, the tightness odd, something he had never felt before. _What if I told her now-_

Mai turned to Naru just as he turned to her, his eyes where so dark, all the colors of the sky reflected like a mirror. Gold's, blues and purples, all shining in his violet eyes.

He opened his mothe to speak but stopped, for the first time ever he looked confused, flustered even scared. What could do that to Naru the narcissist?

It hit Mai like ice water. Naru's voice was warm but his words shook her bones.

"I love you."

"What!" she shouted, clamping her hands over her mouth and jerking back. Naru's face fell, "W-what?" Mai said again realizing she had only screamed in her mind.

"I'm sorry for what I said before I left- I was inconsiderate." Somehow, she understood. He saw it in her eyes, as she went from shocked to sad then – compassionate?

"I shouldn't have said it when I did- I'm sorry." She said softly. "I forgave you long ago, just so you know."

"Ahh… but have you moved on?" worry clouded his voice- he hated it but couldn't stop the felling, she didn't say it back, so she probably had moved on-

"You know, Six degrees of separation and all… no" she admitted sheepishly, her head was down and the sunlight turned her hair orange, he wanted to run his fingers through it. Ruffle her hair so she would glare at him…

"Everything we've been through, all the mistakes, now that we've realized them, they don't matter anymore. It was both our faults." She said looking up at him, didn't know what expression to expect anymore, nor could he place the look he got.

"No I suppose not-" _but you still matter. _He didn't get to finish before Mai kissed him, she put her hands on either side of his face, needing to pull him down despite standing on her tip toes.

Naru wrapped his arms around her waist, taking some of the weight off her shaking legs. Her lips where soft and warm on his as they shared a kiss, their first kiss.

"I love you," she whispered breaking the kiss, her forehead still touching his.

A/N: Sorry that was really weird and had nothing to do with the song it just needed to happen.

Now starts 'the fighter'

Mai held Naru's hand as they walked back down to Shibuya Physic Research, again inhabited by a Shibuya. Naru went back to Mai's office while she made tea, Mai bumped into Madoka on her way back.

"Oh, Mai. Sorry about leaving you here all night, I brought you some fresh clothes."

"Thanks Madoka, would you like me to make some tea?"

"But you already have two cups made?"

"About that-"

"Mai I'm done." came a voice from the other room.

Madoka's eyes went wide and she marched to the office. "it's about time." She stated, Naru was sitting at the desk that was too small of him, all of Mai's work –now completed- in a neat stack in front of him. Mai set the two teacups down and went to change clothes while the student and teacher talked.

Naru watched Mai go, idly discussing with his former instructor. he had missed Mai's tea, even if he did call him a tea living jerk- it was true.

"So have you finally grown up?" asked the red head.

"Yes Mrs. Mori." he said for the millionth time.

"Good. Then you can do the morning meeting."

"Morning meeting?" he echoed, arching his eyes brows. "why would I do that?"

"Because I am resigning." her smirk rivaled his. "And _your_ current case is quite a difficult one."

Madaka left, Mai soon taking her place. "What is the current case?"

"The kobo house, in the county side, the rooms randomly burst into flames but never seem to burn- just what's inside."

"People as well?" she nodded,

there was a loud clang and Ayako started calling Lin's name. Mai hadn't realized anyone else had shown up.

She and Naru went to join the others, he led morning meeting well. Regaining his usual arrogance, he collected all the data and quelled everyone's comments of his return in a matter of moments and then they were off to the countryside.

"You don't have to go, it will be dangerous, we're not to go in under any circumstances" memories of the 'forgotten children' case surfaced in her mind

"Because that work so well before" he said remembering the same case.

"Naru!" Mai glares, his lips twitched in a faint smile

"I know," Naru said grabbing his gloves. "I'll protect you if you're scared." he smirked.

"I am not scared! You're the one that can't use warding magic safely."

"I promise to be careful," he said and cherished her cheek. They both knew he couldn't promise much.

Following old trends, they rode in different cars- Lin and Naru in one; Monk, Mai and Ayako in another.

The silence didn't bother Naru, he was used to it, even perpetuated it.

Surely Mai wasn't lonely with monk around, he always cared for her. Even Ayako was manageable for a time.

_maybe we are meant to be lonely, meant to be on our own. I have always been lonely, even before gene died. loneliness has always been with me. Maybe we don't have to be all alone. _

they reached the house much quicker than Mai wanted. not that she liked all the odd looks monk keep giving her or Ayako's boyfriend remarks- she knew something bad was going to happen, she just knew.

when they arrived, Lin's van was already there. Naru was quick to open Mai's door. She wasn't expecting it (or paying much attention) and nearly smacked the teen in the face.

Here the dense trees blocked out so much light it resembled night, the thin cracks of sun like creeping dawn.

"We should set up here, rather than inside where all the equipment could get fried." stated monk, seemingly unaware of Lin already doing so.

"Set cameras and heat sensors at all the windows, I want sound at any room we know has burned." Naru said inspecting the house from afar.

"This is clearly the work of an earth sprit" ayako called, putting her hands on her hips.

"Are there any live trees here you could use?" Mai asked "if it is a sprit?"

"Not any _right_ here…"

Naru was already thinking of things it could be- cursed ground, foxfires, or an extremely powerful site bound spirit. At this point the list was too long to even consider, he needed to narrow it down and that would require data.

Thinking of Mai's concern of the place- she was rarely wrong- Naru paced the perimeter. he came across a path leading into the forest.

a tunnel of red vermiliontorii gate marked the entrance to a shrine. it looked unkempt, which one could reason was because no one had lived near it in a number of months.

the door was blocked with shoty plywood. Naru swung and the wood gave way. Mai came up behind him, he wouldn't have it any other way.

Mai remembered why she loved Naru, in that moment he was strong, he was brave, he was all she could have dreamed of and more. That's all that mattered, that she loved him and he loved her.

In the back her mind, she knew something was wrong, the shrine wasn't safe, it was dangerous, not as much as the house… but something was wrong.

"Naru!" she called suddenly, the black haired teen looked away from the cob webs to the girl behind him. mai looked stricken. He was by her in a second but she didn't seem to register.

"Mai! naru!" monk called as he rushed towards them as well.

"mai" naru said softly before the older man arrived, "what's wrong?" she looked up at him with wide eyes, clouded as if from sleep.

"get out of there" monk called, naru led mai from the shrine. "I heard mai shout, I though something had happened." monk explained his sudden presence.

"Nothing happened, not that I saw-"

"the flames. didn't you see them? in the house?" mai said blinking, waking up from her vision.

mai couldn't tell naru what she really saw,

_she felt so lonely, so lonely. she was on her own, meant to be that way. as someone, a tall figure clad in black, came to close, but not to be with her, he burned._

Ayako and the others set up the equipment as Naru commanded. For once, she was glad to take orders form the teen. Monk had called in Maisko and John, seeing as the house was bigger than originally thought and they needed extra hands, and Masiko would be key in discovering if it was a sprit or something else.

The only issue would be the teen medium and her old crush now with her old rival- and just when Masiko and Mai where starting to get along. Ayako sighed, she knew it would hurt the girl, but strength is not the weight you carry, but how you carry it.

Johns car pulled up, a girl in a kimono stepping out of the passenger's side. She immediately asked for Naru, as if on cue, the narcissist and Mai came around the corner. For a moment not even Ayako could believe what she was seeing- Naru and Mai where _holding hands_ and _laughing._ Naru was smiling, and not sarcastically. Mai looked happier than she had in months- it was so strange but in a good way.

Maskio stared at the pair in shock, behind her Lin smirked- or perhaps smiled, with him it was hard to tell.

"take me home." she stated to no one in particular.

"what is it miss masiko?" john asked?" blue eyes full of concern. a moment later he realized it himself and tried to stand between the two, his effort going unrewarded.

"there are no sprits here, therefor no point in me being here, that's all." the black haired girl huffed.

"you just arrived, shouldn't you at least walk around?" asked someone form behind john.

the ozzy stepped aside to show mai, just mai. "no" Masiko stated haughtily, "there is a force here, and angry one, but not one I can see, or be bothered to deal with."

"That doesn't sound like you, Mrs. Hara." said Naru from the back of Lin's van. given that there was no suitable HQ, the van would have to do.

"What do _you_ know, you haven't been here!" Maskio burst. she was on the verge of tears, ayako wondered what come back he had in store, or if he would but ignore it.

"Your right, I haven't. I'm apologetic for that." he said with him back to them, his voice was low, but in the silence that had fallen, they heard him clearly.

"I've been postponing this but it needs to be said, I am sorry I stayed away, hurt you all in the way I did, I didn't know how to return or even if I should…" Turning to face them, he truly looked sorry. Sad and vulnerable in a way that one would have thought impossible for him.

"And yet the day you decided you wanted to come back, we were on a plane." lin sighed form his place behind Ayako. He was setting up a mic. Just close enough for her to hear his mumbled complaint.

That night it started to rain. without thinking, everyone rushed to equipment into the house to get it out if the rain.

Having learned her lesson on the forgotten children case, mai wedged all the doors open. thou she-along with everyone else- momentarily forgot about the danger of fire.

A/N: i'm sososos sorry this took so long and its not even the whole song, but this is going to have to be a two part-er. its already 2,903 friking words long. OMG. and for all my amazing rewires jbsdjvsdkbv you have no clue how happy you make me! I liberally like spazed out for ten minutes! you make me feel loved! I apologize for all the errors but i hope you like the fluff! there is some here right!? that's good!? and because no one voted on the song i picked something completely different... ha!


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